A Hero Alone
by Fanfic220
Summary: "A boy began to hear voices in his dreams; pleas for help, but when things get personal, Link takes matters into his own hands and along with Beth and Makar by his side, sets off to defeat the evil wizard, Agahnim and save the maiden, Zelda from being sacrificed."
1. Chapter 1: Voices

**Author's Note:**

**"This is chapter one of a story based off Link to the Past, you could say it's just a reiteration of the game, but I plan to put my own spin on this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda in any way; Nintendo owns it. I only own the story I plan to create, and any of my own characters.**

**Enjoy!"**

**Chapter 1: "Voices"**

I remember her voice coming to me in my dream. It was so faint and hushed, yet at the same time it was afraid and quickened. I remember her words coming to me every night since only about three nights ago. I've memorized exactly what she says; it's never different,

"Help me... Please help me... I am a prisoner in the dungeon, my name is Zelda. The wizard has taken over the castle; corrupted the guards. He is sacrificing the maidens, and I believe I am next... You must help me..."

I believe it went something like that, but I can't know for sure, the rain makes the voice at times inaudible. I'm not sure if my Uncle hears it too, or if it's just me. He has looked rather distressed for the past few days, so I can only assume he hears it too. I know that there is nothing I can do to help this 'Zelda' for Uncle never lets me leave the homestead unless to go with him into Kakariko Village, other than that I stay at home tending to the fields while he leaves to chop lumber from the Lost Woods which is a dangerous place from what I've heard.

As I lay here in my bed with the rain pouring down even harder than previous nights, I stare at the ceiling of our cottage awaiting her voice to attempt to call me, but I feel as if something is different; wrong. My Uncle just sits at the table by the light of one candle. I suppose he is either reading or staring, I can't tell for sure. It feels as if lifetimes pass, but it finally arrives,

"Help me... Please help me... I am a prisoner in the dungeon, my name is Zelda. The wizard has taken over the castle; corrupted the guards. He is sacrificing the maidens, and I believe I am next... You must help me..."

Silence is all I hear after this, but my Uncle gets up from the table, grabs the candle, and comes to me,

"Link, I want you to stay here and get some rest. I need to leave for a bit, I'll be back by morning,"

My Uncle grabs the sword and shield we keep to defend ourselves against wolves, then leaves. I knew he has been hearing the voice and apparently, he's going to do something about. I rise up from my bed and stare out the window into the black, wet world. I've made my decision; I'm going to help my Uncle. I get up from my bed, head over to our storage chest, and dig out the old lantern that my Uncle keeps insisting doesn't work, but I know it does. I reach for my cloak and leave the house. I'm immediately bombarded by cold rain. I try to ignore the cold, and shuffle my way through the dark. As I move about, I notice many lights far off and deduce that it is most likely the castle lights I'm seeing, so I begin my long trek.


	2. Chapter 2: Passage

**Author's Note: **

**Here is chapter 2, I know it's really short, and it took a while, but I promise to have chapter 3 longer and out quicker. **

**Chapter 2: "Passage"**

I slowly made my way toward the castle, treading through mud and rain. I started to realize, as I neared the castle, that more guards began to appear patrolling the banks of the river. My first instinct is to hide, and not be seen. I know that the only way to get across the river is by a single bridge that crosses directly to the castle entrance, so I maneuver pass the guards as I make my way closer to the bridge.

"By the Goddess, it's cold, wet, and terribly dark. Why is the captain making us stay out here and patrol?" A guard blurted it out,

"I don't know, but if he wants us out this late, it's gotta be important," His companion replied.

I came to the conclusion that all of the guards, at least on the outside of the castle were not 'corrupt' as Zelda said, but that doesn't mean I trust them anyways.

I noticed that the downpour began to slow down and the sun was rising, which meant I didn't have much time left to get inside the castle. I carefully made my way across the bridge leading to castle and arrived just outside the main gate, but I wasn't sure where to go from here. I started to wander around when I swore I heard her voice,

"Follow the courtyard path... Find the secret passage..."

That was exactly what I did; I maneuvered my way past patrol after patrol until I reached the courtyard. The only noticeable objects were a ring of bushes, a tree in the exact middle of the courtyard, and a bush in front of it. I thought to myself where someone would hide a secret passage. I began to check around the bushes for the entrance. I had checked every bush, and finally found the entrance underneath the middle bush. I suddenly realized that it was just a hole; a hole that I didn't know how far it went down. Against my better judgement, I jumped.


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

**Author's Note:**

**"I feel this chapter is very emotional, even though we didn't know him that well... Oops! Spoilers! Enjoy!"**

**Chapter 3: "Alone"**

I awoke at what seemed to be the bottom of the hole. I was soaked in a pool of water, and was freezing cold. I assumed that I reached the castle underground. I got up and searched around for the lantern I had brought with me but it was extremely difficult due to it being pitch black from the lack of light, and the pool of water that surrounded me. When I had finally found it, I lit it and proceeded on my way.

I moved through the pool of water until I came to a stone walkway leading to a staircase. I was delighted to find a set path to follow. I walked on for what seemed like ten minutes when I was met with a gruesome sight, along the path were bodies of dead soldiers who had seemed to be freshly killed. This made my heart skip into my throat. I slowly made my way down the hallway, not sure what I would find at the end. As I went down the hall, I began to hear a deathly sound that resembled a moan. I began to imagine what, or who could be making that sound, and my mind froze. I didn't want to think it could be him.

I reached a corner and turned entering a large room, dimly lit, and extremely damp. I scanned the room the best I could when I saw something sitting in the corner, then it - he moaned. The moan dropped a dread that I could have never imagined experiencing. I slowly approached the source, and when I realized who it was, I broke down,

"Uncle! What happened?!" I pleaded,

I was so afraid I was sure if I was even standing anymore,

"Link... I thought... I told you to stay at the... cottage,"

He mustered up a smirk,

"You never listen to me though, but it's alright,"

He let out a deathly moan. It shock waved up my body,

"Uncle, are you okay? Where are you hurt?" I asked frantically,

"I am fine, M'boy, but there is someone in this castle who isn't. The voice of the girl you heard, she is in this castle, and she is really in danger,"

I began to hear his voice falter,

"It's up to you now, you have to sneak into the castle and rescue the maiden. I know you can do it m'boy, I believe in you,"

I began to cry,

"Uncle, I can't leave you here alone, and I definitely can't save her by myself. Please, come with me!"

Uncle laid his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and breathed in a heavy sigh of pain,

"You must do it Link, no one else can, and if the maiden is sacrificed, things could get bad. Please, take my sword and shield, and go. Do not worry about me. I've always taught what you needed to know. Now, you have to learn to learn on your own..."

He was silent for a good while. I sat in the dark, next to the only person I knew as family, who was slowly passing, I had no clue how long I had sat there, put my Uncle spoke one last time,

"I love you Link, your like a son to me. You must go on by yourself..."

He breathed a heavy sigh,

"I believe... in... you,"

He finished speaking, then laid his head back, and the life left his body. I constantly called out to him, but I got no response. I was alone.


	4. Chapter 4: Wander

**Author's Note: **

**"Here is chapter 4, it's a lot longer than earlier chapters and I hope to keep it that way. My intended goal is to go above at least 1000 words a chapter. Enjoy!"**

**Chapter 4: "Wander" **

I sat in total darkness, alone. I didn't want to go on, I wanted to sit here, next to my Uncle. I didn't want to save that maiden, all she has done is cost me the life of my Uncle, my only family.

My Uncle seemed so set on my saving her though, he really did feel like she was in trouble. I wanted to do what Uncle wanted me to do, but I felt it wasn't worth it.

I sat for what felt like days, but I stood up. I had battled myself and had finally made my decision; I was going to save the maiden, Zelda.

I laid my Uncle's body down on the floor and covered him. I seized the sword and shield and proceeded forward.

I walked on until I reached the entrance to the main palace; the view was dazzling. I saw colorful carpets and banners, marble walls, stairs, and seats, and the vaulted, polished stone roof. I was lost in the beauty when I was brought out of my trance by the sound of footstep of which I could only assume were guard. I quickly ducked behind a marble support and waited for the sound to pass. I emerged and began my search for the castle dungeon.

I didn't expect the castle palace to be as big as it was. I continuously got lost in its winding hallways, and many of the doors were locked so I had to pickpocket the guards, which turned out to be a very tedious process because I was very careful not to get noticed. I was actually quite afraid to use my sword and shield because I only had but little training. Uncle taught me what I needed to know in the case that our homestead was attacked by man or beast.

I noticed that as I made my deeper into the castle, the guards, who were talkative and normal to say the least, began to lose their expression, their sense of free will. I could tell this because their movements went from being open to more systematic.

Someone or something was controlling them.

The castle around me became more worn out and let go. I assumed that the king rarely used the dungeon. I began to think about the king, I deduced that whoever was controlling the guards was controlling the king or had disposed of him.

This began to make me feel upset inside, I felt as if a ball of swirling anger was bottled up inside; whoever had disposed of the king and kidnapped Zelda and the other maiden would pay. Indirectly, whoever was behind this had caused me so much pain and sorrow; I am away from home, which I doubt I'll ever be able to return to, and I'm alone. If there is anything this monster will pay for, it will be the death of my Uncle.

I believed I had made it to the lowest level of the castle because I was unable to find another staircase leading down. Another thing also had me puzzled; there were no guards on the last couple of floor. I immediately was filled with a sense of dread, similar to that feeling I had when I was with my Uncle before he passed. I felt as if someone wanted me here; the reason I could not say, but I felt sure of it.

I reached a lone door on the far of the floor. I had no idea what would've been on the other side. The door had a lock, so I tried the keys I had pick pocketed off of the other guards, but to my surprise; none of them worked. I immediately began to scour the floor for something I had missed; anything I had missed when I originally checked the floor. I came upon another door that I swore wasn't there when I first did my first sweep. I carefully reached for the handle and opened it only a little to peek inside. I saw two guards talking to each other, and a larger key hanging on the wall. I immediately knew what I had to do. I swung open, and in a burst of pure adrenaline I crashed my shield into the guards' heads , knocking them out; I didn't want to use my sword just yet.

With the key in my hand, I returned to the locked door and opened, actually eager to see what was inside. When I entered, I knew my search was over.


	5. Chapter 5: Maiden

**Author's Note:**

**Here is chapter 5, this far already! I'm sorry this one took a bit longer to release, but I've been busy. hope you all enjoy.**

**Chapter 5: "Maiden"**

A soft voice came out of the cell,

"Who are you?"

"I'm Link, I was, well, called by a voice to rescue a maiden trapped here,"

I heard a sigh of relief,

"You did receive my message, it's good to know the Wizard's power hasn't totally dominated the castle, yet at least,"

She stepped into the light. She was beautiful. She had a bright, yellow dress on, gorgeous flowing hair, and milky, soft skin. I could tell just by looking at her,

"Well, you'd better get me out of here so we can leave. The Wizard has already been alerted of your presence, even though you believe your stealth kept you hidden,"

I remembered the key and proceeded to unlock the cell when I was knocked down by a violent explosion followed by a shriek. I quickly scurried up and turned around to be greeted by a heavily armored guard carrying a ball and chain. The guard threw another swing at me, but I jumped out of the way, slamming myself against the cold wall of the dungeon. I forced myself to get up and move. I narrowly escaped another blow which knocked out a chunk of the wall. I reached for my sword and attempted a slice without a thought. My strike was blocked by the guard's armor. I realized I would have to get crafty to defeat him; I needed to find his weak spot. I went through a constant cycle of dodging, recovering, and observing. Every time I went through the cycle, I would turn to check on Zelda. She was tucked in the corner. I completed my cycle a couple of more times before I eventually found the guard's weakness; there was a gap between his helmet and shoulder.

I kept moving before I could convince myself that it was the perfect opportunity to strike. Throwing all caution to the wind, I leapt up with as much power my feet could vault me and slammed my sword into his weak spot.

All was silent; I couldn't even hear myself breathing. Finally, the guard let out such a roar that I was flung into the air and hit the wall. I saw blood pooling over the floor and Zelda rushing to me. I had vision for a few moments more, then blacked out.

I awoke in her arms, and a cloth wrapped around my head. I was seized with a searing pain when I finally came to,

"Your awake! I'm so glad your okay,"

I grunted, unable to speak. Zelda pulled out a vial and got me to drink. The taste of the drink was extremely bitter it made me cringe, but it slowly became sweet and refreshing. I began to feel the pain in my head vanish,

"Your skill with a sword is quite remarkable for a simple farm boy,"

I was surprised, "How did you know I'm a farm boy?"

"It's one of my gifts as a maiden of the Tri-force. I'll explain when we get out of here. I don't think that the Wizard will be too pleased when he learns his warrior was defeated by a farm boy, let alone his prisoner being gone,"

I shook my head and attempted to stand. I was very unstable and light headed but I was up in no time. We left off out of the dungeon and began our escape out of the castle for good; however, a question to came to mind,

"How will we get out of the castle without the guards getting us?" I spoke,

"I already have that figured out, if we make our way to the throne room, we can make use of the secret passage that ultimately leads to the sanctuary. I'm friends with the old man, he can keep me safe,"

We proceeded through the castle; we were lucky enough to avoid the guards searching for us, and made it to the throne room. Zelda ran up to the throne and began to push, but she wasn't doing much of anything. She stopped and stared at me,

"Well, C'mon! You aren't let a girl do all the work are you?"

I joined her and we finally managed to push the throne out of the way, revealing a dark passage. We heard voices of guards after us and ran inside.


	6. Chapter 6: Safety

**Author's Note: **

**Here is chapter 6! I'm so proud of myself for coming this far, and I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. I would to know if any beta readers who come across this story would be interesting in helping me make sure my writing is correct and such. If so, just pm me. Again, thank you all! I've gotten over 200 views so far! Stay tuned for chapter 7!**

**Chapter 6: "Safety"**

We cautiously made our way through the various, obscure tunnels, trying to find the entrance to the sanctuary; ultimately getting Zelda to safety. We constantly got lost and usually ended back tracking to a more familiar part of the tunnel, but we made little progress in reaching the end. Zelda continuously assured me that she knew the way, but was repeatedly proven wrong. We were able to agree on one thing; the guards had not followed us into the tunnels, and that was a comforting thought.

Through every tunnel there would be a single lit lantern somewhere on the wall. How that lone light remained was an unsolved mystery to me, but I was grateful that they worked that way for I was very hesitant of the use of my personal lantern. I did notice that there was an abundance of rats that occasionally scurried up and down the hallway, and that the tunnels were very damp and warm.

What surprised me the most was that Zelda didn't seem to concerned about these things. I've heard about the way royalty react to 'unpleasant things, and I expected no different from Zelda. She proved me wrong however.

We carried on as best we could through tunnels when we heard startled by a myriad of different noise; the noises were voices. This had me on edge, I wasn't if the guards had followed us or if it was a different voice. Zelda seemed to be worried about the voices too. We signaled to each other that I would go on ahead and discover the source of the voices. I slowly creeped down the hallway. Every step I took, the voices grew louder. I finally reached the corner to be taken aback a sight I had not expected; We had made it to our destination, only to be thwarted by a patrol of guards interrogating the old man there,

"We know that there is a direct link between the castle and this sanctuary, so if you do not vacate the area; we'll have to remove you by force," One of the guards threatened,

I could tell that the old man was defiant and loyal to the royal family just by his resistance, but I also could tell he was faltering,

"I have told you once, and then again; I refuse to leave this sanctuary to the royal guard. I have a right to stay here, and to care for this sanctuary. This place is a historical relic and I will not allow it to be controlled by those who does not care for its well-being. I, again, am asking you to leave,"

This set the guards off, they raised their weapons in a way to strike the old man. I jumped from the shadows and knocked over one of the guards, and like a flash, slashed one, and kicked down another. The man just stared at me, unable to speak. Zelda arose from the shadows and started to talk to the man. I moved the bodies from view and join in,

"You see sir, the castle is not the same right now. It has been taken over by a dangerously powerful wizard. He has seized power and taken control of the guards. I would still be held prisoner by the wizard if it had not been for Link; but I fear for the lives of the other maidens. I believe they may already be dead," Zelda explained,

The man was lost in thought, dwelling over the events that had recently transpired. He took some time to think, then spoke,

"If what you say is true, then I may have an answer to the motives of the wizard; he wants access to the Tri-force,"

I didn't understand, "Sir, what is the Tri-force? I've never heard of such an object,"

The old man continued, "The Tri-force isn't an object, per se, but a power - a holy power. Legend speaks that whoever gets a hold of the Tri-force will have their deepest, most coveted wish come true. I assume the Wizard wants to use that power to seize total domination of Hyrule,"

"Is there no way to stop him? I mean, there must be something in Prophecy that explains how to prevent his takeover," Zelda questioned,

"There is, but the only way long, and infinitely dangerous. Prophecy speaks of one who will travel to the four corners of the kingdom and pass a series of tests to be deemed worthy to wield the weapon of evil's bane - the Master Sword," he explained, "Link, you must complete the Prophecy and gain the ability to wield such a weapon; I will keep Zelda here with me, I can use my power to disguise her from the Wizard's power. Your first task is to meet with the old man who dwells in the mountains; he is wise, and will know more of the Prophecy then I do. He can teach how to pass the tests and retrieve the sword; but time is failing fast. I fear, even as we speak, that fiend is increasing in power and might, and if he gains entrance to the Tri-force, it will be hopeless."

I was unsure; how was I, a simple farm boy, would be able to save the entire kingdom.

"Don't worry Link; I know you will be able to complete your task. I want you to have this,"

She handed me a bright green charm,

"It is special. It has been handed down for generations. The green represents courage; even in the face of unstoppable evil. I hope it will also remind you of me,"

She bowed her head, and I hugged her. I shook hands with the old man, and left the building. The sky was a wonderful, clear blue, the wind was blowing, and I had an incredible journey in front of me.


	7. Chapter 7: Wanted

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but a couple of problems arose and now they've been resolved! Enjoy Chapter 7!**

**Chapter 7: "Wanted" **

I knew that my newly assigned quest was not going to be easy. I was unsure how to begin my quest. I already had thoughts racing through my head. I assumed that if I was going to be traveling up the mountains, I would need proper gear. I had no rupees so I concluded I would have to find work to earn enough for what I needed. The best place to find work was Kakariko Village.

Kakariko was a sleepy, decently sized village know for its crafts; baskets, satchels, nets, and other wares. More importantly, it was known for its chicken farms. As a farm boy, I had my fair share of experience dealing with chickens and knew for a fact that any help that could be found was welcome.

I set off from the Sanctuary down along the road the ultimately lead to the castle, but I wasn't returning to the castle. I traveled for a couple of miles, and finally reached familiar ground. I had returned home. It was comforting to know that the cottage was still in tact.

I headed inside and initially grabbed a large pack. I began to fill the pack with basic necessities; rope, lantern oil, two light blankets, a canteen of water, matches, and as many loaves of wrapped bread I could find, along with other supplies. As I went about collecting these items, I swore I heard voices coming from outside. I stopped dead in my tracks and dropped to the floor. I slowly, and quietly crept to the wall. I began to listen carefully to the voices,

"...but why burn down the house? I mean, I don't think that the kid will be back, and his uncle is dead. Why not leave the house, or sell it for a profit,"

There was a brief pause,

"Look, I don't understand either, but I say we just burn the house down and get back to the castle. You don't want the same punishment that the last patrol got, do you? Anyways, I bet the kid is just crawled up in a hole crying somewhere,"

"Burn down the house? They can't! This is my home," I thought.

I made my way to the window, and peaked out. I saw a total count of seven guards. I knew I wouldn't be able to take them all on, so I concluded that my best corse of action would to make a run for it. I began to wait for an opening as for me to make my hasty retreat. I noticed that the guards had already begun to set up for burning the house down, and that I was running dangerously out of time.

I saw my opening; all the guards had their back turned. I dived through the window and sprinted away from the house. I had taken the guards completely by surprise to the extent that they were unable to give chase after me. As I ran, all I heard were shouts. I had no home and was a wanted man.

I made the long journey from my homestead to Kakariko Village. I wasn't eager to find what awaited me there. I knew that the guards would be searching relentlessly for me, so I had to be careful interacting with the townspeople. I entered the town and was greeted by a scene I was hoping to avoid. Kakariko Village was being searched by the royal guard. This only served to prove that the Wizard knew that I was out to stop him and he was doing everything he could to stop me.

I immediately left the main street and headed down an alley. I attempted to find a shop to buy what I could with what little money I had left, because it was obvious that I wasn't going to find work. I left the alley that I was following, and started walking along another main road in the village. I thought I was in the clear when I was invaded by a shriek,

"IT'S HIM!"

A little girl alerted. She then turned and dashed off before I could even process what happened. I was immediately surrounded by a myriad of different soldiers. I thought I was through, but I was grabbed by an arm accompanied by one word, "Run," That was exactly what I did, the person who grabbed me was able to shove the soldiers out of our way. I turned and looked behind us to behold what seemed like an army chasing us. We began to pick up speed and put distance between us and the soldiers when we suddenly turned a corner into a house. My rescuer closed the door and latched it then peaked through the curtains. We were left in complete darkness inside that house so I was unable to identify my rescuer. I stood frozen as sounds of heavy footsteps and shouts slowly disappeared. I heard a relieving sigh. My rescuer lit a candle, and revealed that it was an elderly man in robes who had rescued me.


	8. Chapter 8: Friends

**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry this took so long and it is so short. I'm just horrible when it comes to stretching out chapters. I hope you guys will still enjoy it! I've reached over 400 views and I'm so happy that you guys are liking it thus far. I promise that chapter 9 will be over 1000 words. If you guys have any ideas you'd like me to consider, either pm me or leave a review. Feedback would be ideal so I can improve my writing! **

**Chapter 8:**

"I am Malachi, elder of Kakariko Village, and you, sir, have trouble staying out of trouble," said the raspy voice of the man,

"I am extremely grateful for your timely rescue sir, but I can assure you-" I was cut off,

"I don't want to hear your petty excuse of your being discovered. I am willing to help you get started on your journey, but you must be willing to follow my advice. It's late, and there is much we need to discuss,"

The man explained how he was a friend of the caretaker of the Sanctuary, and that old man had sent a message to Malachi asking to watch out for me. I was glad to know that I was still being looked out for,

"I have the gear you need to reach the Prophet that lives on the mountain, along with other supplies that will be crucial to your trek up the mountain. I will also send companions to aid you. I believe that will be enough," The man said,

"I am honored sir, but why go to all the trouble of helping, I have nothing to pay with, let alone express my gratitude for your actions, I said, trying my best to be modest,

"You can repay my actions by preventing the intentions of the Wizard; I am familiar with the prophecy that surround the events as of now, and I dread the thought of what would come about if the Wizard succeeds. The sun is set, and it is late in the evening, You should rest. There is a bed over there for you to rest on,"

"What about you sir?"

"Do not worry about me, I must stay awake and keep watch to assure the soldiers do not take us during the night,"

I was astonished; this man was taking a huge risk by allowing me to stay at his home, let alone giving me supplies and sending companions with me. I finally was given the opportunity to rest in a comfy bed since before I left the cottage, what seemed to me, months - even years ago, which was actually just two nights ago. So much has happened in that time though. I can't believe I was chosen to take on this task; I'm just a farm boy.

I awoke the next morning to the sounds of friendly chatter, and the smell of breakfast. I rubbed my eyes, sat up in my bed, and surveyed the room; it had taken a change of atmosphere much different then that of last night. I saw a young girl cooking on the wood-burning stove in the corner, a man just a little older writing down things in a journal, and Malachi was sitting in a rocking chair, reading. I could tell he knew I had awoke but paid no attention to me.

I got out of bed and went over to Malachi,

"You seemed rested Link,"

"I am, I much needed that sleep. Who are those people over there?"

"Those are your companions; they're going to go with you up the mountain,"

I was still unsure about the concept of companions, but I was grateful to have someone to help me,

"Who are they?" I asked,

"Their names are Beth, my daughter, and Makar, my son,"

"Your sending your children with me? I don't think I could ask you to do that sir,"

"I trust them and in their power, I know that once you three get acquainted, you too, will trust them. Now, come - I believe breakfast is ready,"

I followed Malachi to the table. We sat down and began to eat while he introduced me to Beth and Makar. We instantly became friends, and after a hardy breakfast, we sat and chatted for a good several hours. It was later than we had expected before we finally decided to head out,

"Do we have everything we need?" Beth asked,

"I've checked over everything at least twice, but you'll never know. I believe we're set," Makar responded,

"Alright guys, we're off! Thank you again Malachi!" I cheered.

It was the three of us against the world, but we didn't have even the slightest clue of what was in store for us. I was just happy that I wasn't alone.


	9. Chapter 9: Runaways

**Author's Note: **

**Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 9. I've included in this chapter someone who I find as a very strange character, and I feel I may include him in something bigger later on, but no more spoilers for now! Enjoy! I would very much appreciate if you favorite, follow, and leave a review on my story! See you till Ch. 10.**

**Chapter 9: "Runaways"**

We set out from Malachi's home and slowly made progress avoiding the multiple search parties of soldiers attempting to track me down and stop me. I was extremely appreciative of Beth and Makar aiding me, but I feared for their safety. It was only by their sheer generosity and willingness that they were coming with me, and that was a debt I don't think I could ever repay.

We seemed to have the problem of being forced to take detour after detour to avoid the soldiers who seemed determined to find me. My only hope was that they wouldn't find out that Malachi helped me escape, but if they tried to question the old man at the Sanctuary, it's very possible they may have already linked Malachi to me.

Our path led us into what seemed an empty square, but we were met with something not even I could have expected,

"AMBUSH!" I heard Makar scream,

Within seconds of his warning cry, we were surrounded by soldiers who had their spears aimed at us. Makar and I quickly moved to protect Beth, unsure of what could happen next.

A higher ranked soldier came out of the crowd to 'meet' us,

"I am from the wise, majestic council of our lord, Agahnim. I bring a message from him. His majesty assures you that if come willingly, he will allow you to live; however, you have caused him a great deal of trouble, so if you are wise yourself, you would accept the offer,"

I was shocked, he had to be out of his mind. I stared at Beth and Makar, I could tell they were scared. I was too,

"Why would we go with you to that fiend of a wizard? He's evil!" I repelled,

"How dare you talk about our great lord and master like that, you incompetent fool, you had your chance to live, but no there is only death in store for you. Kill them!" He was furious.

The soldiers began to close in on us, but out of nowhere, an explosion went off. Makar called out for Beth and I to follow him, and we ran down a side path as fast as we could out of town. There was no going back for us.

It was already very late and dark, so we made the best amount of progress we could, and found a nice, secluded area to set up camp. The three of us talked for a good part of the night,

"How did you cause that explosion Makar?" I asked,

"I threw a bomb, I'm glad it bought us enough time to escape, I was actually quite frightened,"

"I knew it was a good idea to let you plan our gear out, brother," Beth responded.

"You two are lucky to have each other. I don't have any family, at least, not any more," I sighed,

"You mean it's just you, Link?" Beth asked,

"Yeah, my Uncle was my only family, but he was killed by those dreaded soldiers," I answered,

"I know how bad that must feel Link, our mother was taken prisoner by those thugs for hiding 'criminals', but they were just people trying to fight against Agahnim," Makar followed.

I was quiet saddened to hear this. The pain I was feeling was only a bit of a larger pool of pain of those who have suffered worse than I have.

We talked longer into the night before we finally drifted to sleep. We took turns keeping watch.

When morning did finally arrive, each one of us woke up and started to prepare breakfast. After we had eaten, we set forth toward the mountain.

We travelled for a great while with very little things of interest happening. We came to a grove near the base of the mountain, when I began to hear the sound of a flute,

"Hey, you guys, do you hear that? It sounds like someone playing the flute," I said,

Beth and Makar both stopped and began to listen,

"I don't hear anything Link, are you sure it isn't just the whistle of the wind or the song of the birds?" Makar asked,

"I swear, I hear it, it's a flute," I persisted,

"Which way is it coming from, Link?" Beth asked,

"This way, follow me," I commanded,

We went through a swerving path of tall oak trees before eventually coming to a secret meadow,

"I hear it!" exclaimed Beth,

"I don't know, I still don't hear anything, are you sure you're hearing a flute?"

"I'm certain of it Makar, if Beth can hear it too, then there has to be something out here," I said,

We proceeded closer and closer to the sound of the flute when we were eventually met with the sight of a young boy playing the flute surrounded by animals. It was actually an astonishing sight to behold.

"Well then, I guess there is a piper out here. Should we go say hello?" Makar asked,

"I guess I'll do it," I volunteered,

As I slowly moved toward the boy, I began to grew very stressed for some odd reason. I began to think if his music was magic, but I disregarded that thought. I realized that no matter how much closer I got to him, he didn't even notice I was there; it was like he was avoiding my presence, but at the same time, he didn't know I was there.

I finally mustered up the courage to talk to him after getting in close enough of talking distance,

"Hello there," I greeted,

Immediately, the boy stopped playing, and the animals scurried away. He didn't look at me until a brief pause, and the moment he laid his eyes on me. He vanished from right in front of me. My heart leapt inside of me. I was frightened. I turned around to Beth and Makar, and they were just as stunned, we stood there for a bit, and tried to figure out what had just happened. After a while, we gave up and went on our way.


	10. Chapter 10: Mountain

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all! Sorry for the extremely long wait; I was kept up by my high school productions, but I'm back now. Enjoy this next chapter and see you at Ch. 11! **

**Chapter 10: "Mountain"**

Beth, Makar, and I proceeded a far way up into the mountain by following the ridge up for a good way, but we soon ran out of a set path to follow and were forced to climb up using our gear. We tried our best to make progress, but we had to take our progression slow as to be sure we didn't mess up and endanger one of us.

As we made our way up the mountain the best we could, the sun began to set and we were quickly losing daylight to work by. We stopped climbing and rested on a cliff that stuck out of the mountain. That night was a rather restful one for our group, and as soon as the sun rose to the point where it provided enough light to travel, we set back to climbing the mountain.

We kept ourselves entertained by making small talk with each other, telling stories, and laughing at Makar's jokes, who had an extremely good sense of humor. Although, it would grow quiet and we would just listen to wind, or the other sounds of nature. I found it to be quite peaceful.

Around noon, we stopped for lunch on a much smaller cliff then the one we slept on, it was so small that Makar had volunteered to stand so me and Beth could sit. While we ate, we began to talk about what could be waiting at the top of this mountain,

"I don't know who could be crazy enough to live up here," Makar said,

"I'm not sure either, but you always hear how the wisest elders live on mountains," I responded,

"I wonder if he's by himself," Beth wondered,

Whatever our guess was, we wouldn't know for much longer. We continuously climbed until we were too exhausted and we set up camp on the largest cliff we've seen. All three of us were dead tired and slept like rocks. It was cool and quiet up there, and I slept.

I awoke the next morning to a sudden surprise; there were moblins going through our packs. I quickly jumped up and armed myself with my sword. The moblins looked at me, then dropped what they were holding, then they scurried up the mountain wall.

I looked around the camp and realized that both Beth and Makar were gone. I cleaned up the camp the best I could, grabbed the packs, and then began to climb up after the moblins. It wasn't a very long climb, and I soon found myself in front of a massive complex of ruins. At the base was a cave entrance with a mess of items leading into it. I assumed that Beth and Makar had gone into there, but was unsure why they would. I wondered if the moblins had taken them in there. I wouldn't know if I didn't go in there.

So, with sword in hand and our packed swung on my back; I proceeded into the cavern.

It was extremely dark in there, so I lit the lantern I had brought, and slowly crept my way down the cavern. I listened for any noise, but all I could hear was silence. I called out once for Beth or Makar, then it went silent. There was no reply. This made me afraid. I began to fret over if they were in danger, or something worse. I treaded down further when I was jumped by two moblins hiding in the shadows.

They threw me to the ground, but I was able to quickly recover. I swung my sword at one of them but was only able to administer a wound. The two moblins came back at me for another hit, and I again found myself knocked over. My being thrown around began to tick me off, so as much focus I could channel into one blow, I slashed one of the moblins dead. The other moblin turned and dashed off into the cave. I followed in pursuit, but was unable to keep up. I stopped and listened for a good while, when I swore I heard cries for help coming from deeper in the cavern.

I made my way as far down into the tunnel as I could. I arrived in an enormous room lit up with torches. I scanned the room from my vaulted location, and to my horror, I saw Beth and Makar.


	11. Chapter 11: Sidetracked

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all, here is chapter 11, hope you enjoy. I would love it if you took the time to favorite, follow, and review my story. I don't mind if it's even just pure hate. Stay tuned for ch. 12.**

**Chapter 11: "Sidetracked"**

What I beheld before made me jump so high up, my heart skipped a beat. By our luck, we had reached a set of ruins that were inhabited by an entire colony of moblins. As I stared down at Beth and Makar, I saw so many moblins, one would consider them an army. I soon realized that Beth and Makar were both unconcious, and that it would be almost impossible to free them, but I knew I had to try; I owed them it.

I slowly, and carefully made my way down to the bottom of the room. I was lucky enough that my decent did not attract any attention; although, I was still unsure how to free my companions. As I hid and thought about my possible actions, the moblins let out a screech so loud I was sure it shook the mountain. The moblins were planning to do something to my companions; whatever it was, I didn't know. I inched closer to the crowd of moblins. I was sincerely unsure on how to free Beth and Makar. The moblins didn't seem to be taking any immediate actions, so I set my mind to cooking up plans on how to free my friends.

I had an idea; I would have to create a large enough distraction that would catch the attention of the entire moblin group. I remember Makar saying he brought bombs with him, and I went digging inside the packs in a frantic search for them. I found them bounded up by rope. I cracked up the perfect plan to distract the moblins; I would set the bombs up at the far end of the room under the pillar. I would then detonate the bombs, which in turn, would collapse the pillar, hopefully erupt a large enough crash to pose a threat to the moblins.

I stealthily made my way around the moblin group to my desired location, planted the bombs, set up a long enough fuse, then I made a mad dash for the other end.

I suddenly felt a violent tremor shake throughout the room, followed by an ear-deafening explosion. My plan had worked, only partially however. The moblins' attention was captured, but was rerouted back into the form of chaos. The moblins dashed left and right in a crazy motion. I attempted to take control of the opportunity. I dodged and evaded my way through the moblin crowd until I reached Beth and Makar,

"Beth! Makar! Are you guys alright?" I asked,

"Awh man, my head hurts. Link, I want to get out of here," Makar shook his head,

"Beth, have they done anything to you guys?"

"Nothing to serious that we can't recover from, but I agree with Makar; We need to get out of here,"

I turned to see that the moblins were finally calming down and regrouping. I cut the ropes from Beth and Makar's arms and legs. Makar fell straight to the ground, and Beth hopped down gracefully.

By this time, the moblins were alerted of our presence and began to uproar again. I quickly began to panic.

When Makar had finally recovered, we made a mad dash for the exit, but we were blocked off by the moblins. They weren't about to let us escape. We clumped together, fearful of what would happen, when a flash of blinding light filled the room.

I heard what sounded like chanting, then another flash. The moblins were furiously out of control, beyond what I thought, to point of never recovering. Beth pointed to a ledge above us when I spotted a man with a long beard but a hood over his head.

The minute I blinked, the man was gone. I looked toward the entrance and saw the man in front of us,

"Quickly! Follow me!" He screamed,

We chased him down the hall, while being pursued by wild moblins with their clubs raised. We ran as fast as we could to keep up with the man. We had finally reached the exit. Once me, Makar, and Beth had made it out, he took his hands and pounded them together, causing the stones above the door to fall, rendering the doorway useless.

He took a large, long breath then started to walk away.

"Hey, mister! Where are you going?" I called out,

Beth and Makar only looked at each other. The man stopped for a moment then continued walking on. I caught up to him,

"Excuse me, mister, but why would you just walk away after saving us?" I asked blankly.

The man stopped again, turned and looked at me, then sighed again,

"You're an extremely persistent boy, aren't you,"

He walked a few steps, then turned around,

"Let me tell you why I saved you; I don't much like the moblins, and I also don't need dead travelers, so the only reason your alive is because of my morals,"

At this, he started to walk away,

"Rude!" Beth screamed,

The man abruptly turned around, marched right up to Beth and screamed at her,

"Careless!"

Makar pushed the man out of the way,

"Watch it, you don't yell at me sister, no matter who you are!"

The man laughed,

"'Who you are!', That is truly funny. You have no idea who I am. Ah well, better off you didn't know. Go home,"

He again turned to leave us,

"Who are you then?" I asked,

He stopped,

"I am the Prophet,"


	12. Chapter 12: Training

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all, hope you're enjoying my story so far. Remember all feedback is appreciated. My extracurricular activities are done for now, so I hope to write a lot more. Hope to see you at Ch. 13!**

**Chapter 12: "Training"**

"You mean to tell me that you're the all-wise prophet we've been looking for. Frankly, I would have expected the prophet to be a kind old man, not some grumpy grandpa!"

Beth yelled,

"Yes, am I am the Prophet, and if I'm not what you expected, then too bad. The world isn't what you think up off the top of your head, besides that's no way to treat anyone, despite my 'bad attitude'," He responded,

There was a long period of silence which consisted of me, Beth, and Makar exchanging glances with each other, and occasionally with the Prophet. The Prophet finally got impatient,

"Well, I extremely doubt that you came all the way up this mountain, and getting captured by moblins just to track me down and mock me. Come on! Out with it,"

He blurted,

"Well, you see sir, we were sent to look for you up here by the caretaker of the sanctuary down near the castle. He said that you'd know more about the legendary prophecy and how to acquire the master sword," I explained,

Again, there was a period of silence, the Prophet stroked his long, grey beard, then spoke,

"I'm trying to figure out why he would have sent you up here, especially after the weapon of evil's bane. This task is not for a bunch of kids,"

"We're not kids! We're older, braver, and smarter than you make us out to be!" Makar protested,

"You're also quite foolish! Although, if the caretaker had enough belief in you to send you up here by yourselves, then there might be a chance,"

"So, you'll help us get the sword?" Beth asked,

"I never said that, although, it might be worth my time to see if you three even stand a chance. You all seem audacious enough,"

He stroke his beard again, grunted then told us to follow him.

We travelled through the course of the day through strange fields of cacti and other small patches of vegetation. It was late in the evening before we reached the home of the Prophet. It was overly extravagant for a single hermit.

He took us inside and had drop our supplies off in a corner while he went to light a fire. We went over and sat by the fire and began to talk about many things. Me, and Makar were still too suspicious of the Prophet, but Beth seemed to slow warm up to him.

As the night dragged on, I talked with the old Prophet about all that I knew about: The Wizard, the Princess, the Tri-force, the Master Sword, my Uncle, and other odds and ends. As we talked, Makar paid attention, but Beth fell asleep almost instantly as we started talking; although, it wasn't too long before Makar followed.

The conversation between me and the Prophet went on until extremely late, it was finally ended when the Prophet told me to get some rest and that I would need it for the days ahead.

I assumed I had changed the Prophet's overall opinion of us during that talk, but that was just what I hoped. I dozed off in my comfy sleeping pad and enjoyed the soothing sounds of the fire crackling and the Prophet humming soft tunes.

I awoke late in the morning to the old man reading, my other companions were still asleep though. I sat up on my pad when I jumped to the sound of the Prophet's voice,

"Good morning, you seem to be better qualified then your companions,"

I didn't understand, it could have been that I was still half asleep, or that I didn't know what I was 'better qualified' for.

"Better qualified?" I asked,

"Yes, only one of you can go ahead to take the tests and one day wield the sword of evil's bane, and you seem to be the better pick,"

"You mean my friends can't help me complete the tests?" I asked,

"Your questions will be answered in due time come on my boy, but now get your sword, for we will begin your training,"

I got my sword and followed him out to a small, flat, deserted area,

"Now, show me your best sword skills you possess,"

"Sir, I was only raised a simple farm boy, I don't -"

"No excuses, you will need improvement any way you go about it,"

The next couple of our featured me attempting my best at his assignments, lecturing, demonstrations, and then repeating the cycle with each new skill. Beth and Makar came out once in a while to see my training; although, they did not speak. I assumed they knew I was ultimately going to be the one to carry out this task.

During our sessions, we stopped for lunch and dinner. The Prophet forced me to eat a special set of meals he prepared himself, which he claimed was the diet of a warrior. I was hardly convinced. The meals were bland, and simple.

We continued our training late into the night. When we finally returned, we found Beth and Makar both fast asleep on their pads. We continued this routine for a few days more when finally, the Prophet said proudly,

"You are ready; I will tell you what you need to know,"


	13. Chapter 13: Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry that I made Ch. 13 incredibly short, but I felt as If I needed to get something out to you guys, so enjoy. Also, please feel free to leave a review, and favorite and follow! I'd love it so much if you did. Be sure to check out my other stories, they're not that far along, but I'd love it if you guys would check them out. See you at chapter 14.**

**Chapter 13: "Goodbye"**

"Yes, there is a prophecy which speaks of one who will set out to overcome the challenges set long before the hero's time," He explained,

"Although, many details about what the tests are hidden from knowledge,"

"What can you tell us about them then?" Beth asked,

"Prophecy speaks that the hero must be deemed worthy and prove it by acquiring a certain number of pendents as proof that he is the one,"

"The prophecy is spoken as legend;

Long ago, here in the beautiful land that is Hyrule, legend speaks of an omnipotent and omniscient Golden Power that resided in a hidden land. Many people aggressively sought to enter the hidden, Golden Land, but no one ever returned. One day, an evil power began to flow from the Golden Land, so the king of Hyrule ordered seven wise men to seal the gate to the Land of the Golden Power.

That seal should have remained for all time, but these events were obscured by the mists of time, but this became nothing more than a forgotten story.

A mysterious wizard known as Agahnim came to Hyrule for the sole purpose of releasing the seal, and he eliminated the good king. Using dark magic, he began to make the descendants of the seven wise men vanish,"

There was a moment of silence,

"How do you know this if this has only begun to take place?" I asked,

The Prophet bowed his head,

"I am one of the seven wise men that sealed the Land away. I was at the castle when Agahnim appeared, but I fled here to save myself from the Wizard,"

There was another moment of silence,

"I have full confidence that you three have the largest chance of success if you choose to take on this test. I have seen Link's ability to wield a blade, and I have trained him as best I know how. I have began to realize the skills of you three at a grand scale as well,"

"So you believe we can make it?" Makar asked,

"Yes, but the road ahead will be dangerous and you may have difficulties, but I believe you three, together, will be overcome any obstacle you may meet,"

"I don't how to ever repay you for your knowledge and training you've given me and my friends," I said appreciably,

"There is no debt; I am beginning to wonder why I was so hostile to you when we first met. I suppose my mood was clouded by the foolishness of the people clueless to the evil that is growing even as we speak, but you three are young, bright people who are ready to seize today and change the future, but listen to me, I'm babbling,"

We laughed a little, it was actually a great feeling, but It was overcome by the fact it wouldn't last. The Prophet gave us food and supplies and was even kind enough to present Beth and Makar with their own specially made weapons,

"I would like to suggest that you start by going to the first temple here on the other side of the mountains. I would warn you that the moblins that live up here in the mountains are beginning to become active, so be careful,"

With that, Beth, Makar, and I set out from the Prophet's home and began our journey to the home of the first pendent, but the journey didn't prove easy.


	14. Chapter 14: Memories

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, so much for keeping up with the story so far. Be sure to favorite, and follow to keep up with chapter posts, also I would it if you reviewed as well.**

**Chapter 14: "Memories"**

It seemed to us that getting to the other side of the mountain wouldn't prove to be too difficult, but we were wrong. Unfortunately, the weather on the mountain continuously shifted. A part of the day, it would be sunny and deathly hot. The other part, a storm would develop and we would be flooded by heavy rains which leave us stranded until it died down and we could move again.

We travelled by following small, inlet valleys on the mountains. These in particular flooded the worst when it rained, but were the easiest to traverse during clear weather.

Beth, Makar, and I talked very little during our travel, but we all enjoyed each others' company. We would stop for lunch when the sun reached its peak and then get going again. When the sun's light vanished, we would find a nice spot to set up camp. From there, we would light the fire, and cook dinner, followed by a little small talk before bed.

As I laid on my mat, I listened to the sounds of nature. It was peaceful to hear the wind bounce of the side of the mountain. It produced a light whistle which was just loud enough that you could hear it.

I didn't have much a clue about what we would do when we reached the temple of the first pendent, but I assume we would figure it out as we went along. I thought of the Prophet's cautious warnings of the moblins that lived up here. So far, we haven't met any since we left, but because we ran into them getting up here, I knew it could have very likely happened again.

I awoke to the sun's rays laying on my face, which slightly annoyed me. I sat up and looked around and saw that Makar was asleep still, but Beth was awake and making breakfast. I got up, walked over, and sat next to her,

"Good morning, Link," she greeted,

"I'm making my mother's famous honey bread, it's really good. She used to make it all the time and give it out to the people in Kakariko Village,"

"That's really nice of you Beth, but I'm still sorry for the loss of your mother,"

She lowered her head,

"It's not your fault, but I do miss her. Although, I'm thinking that Makar is taking harder than I have been. He's still been having horrible nightmares,"

"Why do you say that?" I asked,

"Well, some nights, you can hear him calling out to her, other times, he'll be crying in his sleep. It's like he's living it over and over,"

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your mother?"

Beth looked away,

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that,"

Beth turned back,

"No, it's alright. Our mother was all for helping the resistance, but she was just one woman. All she could do was hide wanted people from the guards out looking for them, when the guards left, she would give them baked goods and send them on their way. Malachi knew about this, but was somewhat opposed to endangering the entire family by helping one 'criminal'. That was all mother could do though, help,"

She stopped a moment,

"On one occasion, she harbored two brothers into our home who were wanted for stealing weapons from the guards and as customary, the guards would go door to door looking for them, but this time, they were caught. It was because they were hiding in the roof near the door listening in but the roof gave in and collapsed, revealing the two brothers. This caused the guards to become furious, and they began to beat the brothers. Mom eventually used a broom to defend the boys, but was arrested finally with the brothers,"

She started to cry,

"They took her away, and we may never get to see her again. It was never like this before the wizard overthrew the kingdom,"

I felt bad. This wizard has caused so much pain to the people of Hyrule, and it was up to us to stop him before it was too late,

"I'm sorry I had to make you remember that,"

She nodded,

"It's not your fault,"

After a while, she stopped crying and regained her composure. Eventually, Makar woke up. We had our breakfast, packed up, and set out on our way. The wizard was going to pay, and we were going to give it to him first hand.


	15. Chapter 15: Natives

**Author's Note:**

**Hello everyone, hope you're enjoying the story so far, be sure to favorite, follow, and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter 15: "Natives"**

We again set off to reach the temple of the first pendent. Our travel was fairly uneventful, but I kept getting the feeling that I was being watch. I didn't know if there were moblins out here, or if I was just feeling paranoid.

I noticed that there were no plants on this side of the mountain, just rocks. Although the earth had a darker tone on this side, like a burned look to it.

We stopped for a couple of minutes for a drink of water then we planned to continued on, but we were taken by surprised by the worst. A moblin had jumped out from behind a large boulder and smacked Makar right on top of his head. I wasn't aware of this until Beth screamed. When she let out her scream, I jumped up and drew my sword, ready to take them on, but there were already too many moblins for me to take care of easily. I charged into the crowd of snickering mountain dwellers and began swinging left and right and dropping many moblins dead. I turned and called out to Beth,

"Beth, get Makar and get out of here!"

When I called out to her, I hadn't thought that the moblins would go after her so quickly. This caused me to switch my position to cover Beth's retreat, but also gave me a harder time fending of the moblins due to the fact that I was forced to cover more ground.

I continued swinging as more and more moblins hit the floor with a thud, but as fast as I could drop them, even more came. They were swarming out of hiding, and I was left to deal with them all. I jumped back and looked to make sure Beth and Makar had made it to safety. I didn't see them so I had to assume the best.

I was slowly becoming overwhelmed by the moblins as they all tried to trip me up, or poke me with their spear and whack me with their clubs, so far, I was able to prevent this from happening, but I was getting tired from all the dodging and fighting I was doing.

I finally gave up for the moment and retreated a ways. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, as I did this I heard the wind picking up and it went dark. I opened my eyes, making sure to hold my focus, and saw an orange glow covering my sword. By this time, the moblins had surrounded me again and were waiting to take me out.

With the powerful glow on my sword, I gathered up all my strength I could muster, and spun. When I did so, the orange glow left my sword and expanded into a large ring of powerful energy. I watch in amazement as the ring of energy flew around me and caused the energetic moblins to collapse, some even dying as they fell.

I took this opportunity to run, but I found that I was unable to move hardly at all. The blast of energy I had shot from my sword left me worn out. Unable to run like I had hoped, I moved as fast as my body allowed away from the crowd of moblin raiders.

As I moved away, I turned back to behold a scene of chaos. Many moblins laid dead on the cold stone floor, while others were trying to get up, bit were unable to. The ones that were standing, were in a state of total panic. They continuously hopped up and down, in what I though was concern for their fallen comrades. It seemed to me that they were too concerned about their bothers to be worrying about me escaping.

I finally left the view of the moblins and began looking for my companions, but I was unable to. This had me frightened a bit, so my search became a bit more frantic. I proceeded to climb and higher cliff to survey the lower sections of the mountain top. I looked over the area and I saw a large, marble, ancient looking structure. I spotted Beth and Makar making their way towards it while being pursued by moblins.


	16. Chapter 16: Entrance

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry for taking so long with my post, but as it is, life wants to keep me away from my writing. Just a warning: It will probably be just as long for the next chapter, but let me just reassure you guys; I'm still here, and I'm still writing.**

**Chapter 16: "Entrance"**

I watched from my position on the large rock a rather great distance away from Beth and Makar. I watched as they were chased by a large number of furious moblins. I was quite fearful as to what the moblins would do to Beth and Makar, and I didn't want to find out. Taking a long jump from the rock, I dashed off to the large, temple-like structure to pursue my friends. I was curious as to why there was a lone structure out on this mountain; although, I could've figured it out had I not been concerned about Beth and Makar.

I had covered about half the distance from my original location when I lost sight of Beth, Makar, and the trailing moblins. They had entered the temple and I had no idea where inside they would head. I began to have trouble continuing on after them due to the fatigue caused by my previous battle with the moblins, but I pushed forward. I reached the base of the temple and was taken by it's beauty, but I was quickly slipped out it and took off inside.

The first thing to catch my eyes was a long blue-tiled hallway splitting to meet three different doors. I didn't see anyone. I eventually settled on going through the door on the left first. I approached the door and lifted from the bottom, throwing it up. I entered through the doorway and had only taken a few steps before I suddenly caught myself and prevented me,from plummeting into a pitch black abyss. I looked up to see that most of the bridge was blown off and it left a impassible gap. I had no choice but to turn around and enter through one of the other doors.

I proceeded back to the main hallway and tried the door on the right side, but I was unfortunately met with the same results. I was left with only the middle door. I went to lift the door up just like the other two, but found out it was sealed shut. My first notion was to look for something to unlock it, but found nothing but a single, clay pot. Having no other option, I lifted up the pot to reveal a circular, stone pad on the floor. I took a moment before I set my foot on the pad with sunk into the floor and unsealed the door. I entered in.

I proceeded through the door to find that this bridge was intact, but blocked by not so friendly looking, squid-like creatures. They slithered around and began to take notice to me. They began to move toward me, but almost by instinct, I drew my sword and sliced the creatures dead. The bodies of the creatures lay there, unmoving, so I continued forward into the next room.

The next room was expansively large. I came into the room and looked around. I noticed that this room was probably the main hub of the temple due to the fact that when I looked over the rails, I saw other floors. I looked down and saw Beth resting alone,

"Beth! Are you alright?" I called,

She looked up at me,

"Link! Glad to see you. I'm alright, but I'm not so sure about Makar,"

I was surprised,

"Why?"

I watched as she let out a heavy sigh,

"Well, Makar believed that because you weren't around, he'd have to find a way out of here, and he went off into the temple doing just that, but I don't know where he is now,"

I responded with a sigh,

"Alright, just hang tight and wait for me,"

She looked both ways then looked back up at me,

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere,"

I took off, leaving Beth by herself, which I felt bad for doing, but had no other choice. The floor I was on was fairly empty, at least to the fact that there was nothing trying to kill me, just a few clay pots laying around. I proceeded left into a room that looked like a main staircase. I approached the landing to be greeted by walking skeletons!

I froze in my step and watched them. I don't know what is was though, but they didn't seem to take notice to me. I did notice they moved incredibly fast. I didn't waste any more time in my frozen position and slowly moved past them down the staircase. At the bottom, I came to a split in the hallway, it took me a moment to decide, but what ultimately had me make my choice was that one of the paths were blocked by massive, stone blocks. So, with my only other option, I began to take off, but for some strange reason, I stopped. I felt as if some voice was calling me, so I looked around and noticed a strange tile on the wall. After further observation,

I saw it had strange texts written on it. I suddenly found myself focused only on the tile when I heard the voice of the Prophet,

"Link, do you hear me?"

I spoke without thought,

"Yes,"

"Good," the voice came, "Listen to me, these are special tiles which I can use to contact you while your in the temple. I'll try and help you in any way you can,"

"Okay,"

"Now listen, Makar is in deep trouble. You've got to hurry if you want to save him,"

"How do you know he's in danger?" I asked,

"That's not important, just get going," He responded sharply.

I immediately took off into the lower of levels of the temple with my only priority finding Makar and get him and Beth out. I should've guessed it wasn't going to be easy.


	17. Chapter 17: Tension

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the long wait for new materials, but school has let out for me, so expect to see tons more stuff coming out from me. Be sure to check out my other works, favorite, follow and review! Thanks!**

**Chapter 17: "Tension"**

I descended a flight of stairs which brought me to a pitch black hallway, but what was strange was that there was a soft hue of red that slowly seemed to glow brighter as I waited. I immediately made the conclusion that whatever it was, I didn't want to find out. I fumbled around for my trusty lantern and made my way down the hall opposite the red hue.

I reached three pots. I lifted all three to discover that a floor button like the one I saw earlier was hiding under one of the pots. I stepped on it. I jumped at the sound of an open door which somehow happened to be right next to me. I proceeded into a dark side room and began exploring. Finding a large number of pots, I lifted them all and again found a floor button. Pressing this one down, I jumped to the sound of a crash. I shined my lantern to the source of the crash to discover that a chest had fallen from the ground. It was a golden chest. My first action was to go and open the chest, which I found was unlocked. I opened it up and reached outside and to my surprise, I had found a bow.

I began to test it out by pulling on the bow string a couple of times, but I was interrupted by the sound of what seemed to millions of legs covering the ground. I held my lantern up to reveal a massive swarm of black spiders crawling toward me. I instantly began to swing both my lantern and my sword, scaring them and killing them. It wasn't too long before the entire room was covered, so

I jumped over them and ran through the door. I took off back to the hallway I was in before, but this time, the red hue had disappeared. I moved against the back wall to the other side of the hallway which fed into another doorway. Upon entering, I was met by a setup similar to the last room. I carefully made my way to the middle where another golden chest lay, and I hesitantly opened the chest expecting more spiders to fly out at me, but nothing happened. I reached into the chest to reveal the key to boss room inside.

This key was just what I needed to get Beth and I out of here. I assumed that Makar would have gone after the boss ahead of me, but I wasn't about to contemplate how he got in without the key.

I took off back to the main room above where Beth was resting on the bridge, but when I looked, she wasn't there. I could only guess she moved further into the temple. It took me longer then I had hoped, but after a good period of searching, I found the staircase that lead down to the floor I needed to go to. I zipped down the staircase and quickly did a sweep of that floor, but found nothing too much of interest. I reached where Beth was originally, but disappointingly, I didn't find anything of hers. I decided that I would check the side rooms for Beth. The only result that came about my running around was I found large amount of rupees.

With no sign of Beth or Makar on this floor. I proceeded a level below, but was met with the same scene as the previous level, it was almost identical in setup. Neither Beth or Makar were on this floor, so I headed down the staircase to final underground level, where I knew that the door to boss room would be located. As I descended the staircase to the floor, the span of the floor came into view. The first sight that caught my eye was a refreshing one: Beth and Makar standing in front of the boss door with a puzzled expression on their faces. I reached the end of the staircase and called out to them,

"Beth, Makar! You guys are okay!"

They both turned around, and in unison, replied,

"Link!"

I sprinted over to them and we all joined together in a group hug,

"How'd you guys escape the moblins? I watched them trail you inside,"

Makar looked down and kicked at the floor,

"Well, you see Link, it's actually a long story,"

Beth seemed curious as to what the story was, no matter how long,

"What's the matter, Makar. I can tell when your hiding something," She interrogated,

Makar backed away rather noticeably,

"Like I said, long story, no time to tell it right now," He evaded,

Beth was getting impatient,

"Makar, tell us what happened. I know for a fact that when we split up, the moblins chased after you,"

Makar let out a stressful sigh,

"Alright, fine. Let's just say I bribed the moblins to leave us alone,"

I wasn't convinced, and neither was Beth,

"You bribed them how?" I questioned,

I knew that we were pressuring him, but I was wondering if it was enough, or even too much. Beth continued to poke and prod at him until he finally cracked,

"Fine!" He cried,

There was a moment of silence,

"I bribed the moblins by giving them our dinner,"

When the words of dinners made it past Makar's mouth, I instantaneously realized that I was starving. It must have been at least two days since we had our last meal. This confession really set Beth off and put her into a rage. She went on and on how Makar was more responsible then this, and how she was extremely disappointed in him. I watched as she hammered Makar to the point of bawling. I finally had enough and spoke up,

"Beth, stop it!" I screamed,

She immediately stopped mid-sentence and dropped her arms. She hung her head in what I could only guess was shame. Makar scurried up against the wall, and slowed his breathing from a heaviness to a calm state. I knew that was the only way to end the situation, even though it was the harshest way. I tried to give both my friends a pep-talk,

"Look Beth, you can't blame Makar for his actions. It was likely the best way to be rid of those moblins,"

I turned to Makar,

"Makar, I know you meant well, but you could have found a more productive to get rid of those monsters,"

Makar nodded his head,

"Yes, I bet we're all hungry right now, so the faster we get out of here, the faster we can get some food,"

I felt that my little talk calmed both of them, so I gave them both a moment to recuperate. Beth went over and made up with Makar and apologized. As Beth walked away, Makar's eyes went ice cold, and his mouth began to utter an ancient language. Both Beth and I stared at him, but his gaze was set foward,

"Link?" Beth asked,

"Yes?" I responded,

"What is he saying?" She asked,

"I have no clue," I confirmed,

We watched in a mixture of both horror and awe at Makar's speech. I was unable to move any part of my body, and I assumed the same for Beth. It was a good minute before he stopped short of his speech and his eyes returned to normal. His body was in a lifeless state and began to totter back and fall. I, without thought, slid across the cold stone floor and just made it in time to cushion his fall, saving him from cracking his head open on the floor.

I heard crying from behind me, and strained my neck to look and see Beth muddled in tears,

"What... Happened to him?" She croaked,

"I honestly have no idea. Has he ever done this before?"

"No, never,"

"This is getting extremely dangerous, we'd better get out of this temple and get back to the prophet,"

I crawled out from beneath Makar and made way over to Beth to comfort her, which I saw, helped her tremendously. I then went and pick up Makar and laid him over my shoulder. I gave Beth the boss key and had her open up the gate. She headed inside before me. The only sound I heard was a screech. I moved as fast I could with Makar and found that Beth had fainted in front of a monster that sent me into an adrenaline shock.


	18. Chapter 18: Curse

**Author's Note:**

**I believe I'm coming to a plot twist I'm going to regret, but I'm going to follow through with it anyways, stay tuned to see what I mean. Review, favorite, follow, and enjoy! see you later!**

**Chapter 18: "Curse"**

The size of the monster, nay, the thing before was unrealistic. It was an animated stone statue, and it was towering right in front of me. I laid Makar down on the floor and leaped into the bowels of the boss chamber. I huddled to the back wall and stared in a justified horror as the statue made the earth quake with every jump.

It eventually froze in place and started to shake violently. I had no idea how to react, so I just ducked and drove my head in safety. I peeked out from my hiding to witness the statue split into eight smaller versions of itself and begin to hop in a pattern that trailed each statue.

I flung myself forward into the middle of the crowd and charged up my sword, hoping to get a result similar to the one the moblins received. I took my stance, and while trying to block out the slow advance of the statues towards me, I charged up my attack and released it. It sent out a ring of energy that pushed the statues back, also sending to slamming into the wall. It left one of them with a chunk of his head missing.

The statues regained their pattern and slowly began to creep towards me, so I attempted another charge, but I was too weak to cook up a ring like

I had just done. The statues finally ganged up on me and crushed, leaving me extremely weak, but not defeated. I limped my way out of the circle and armed my bow. I aimed and fired an arrow that flew right into one of them and split a chunk off of it.

I soon realized that these statues were rather weak for being made out of stone. The statues attempted another advance on me, but I let loose a good number of arrows which knocked at least two back far enough to let me slip past the ring of statues and avoid being crushed again. I aimed specifically for one, shooting as many arrows at it as I could. It eventually crumbled altogether and became a pile of dust.

I repeated using my bow until I had crumbled two more statues, but I ran out of arrows and had to resort to something more creative. The first thing that came mind was my bombs. I reached into my pack and threw one at them, exploding it into bits, ultimately resulting in a pile of dust. I used bomb on the last statues until only one remained. The demeanor of this statue changed. Its stone turned blood red and its speed increased. I could only guess that its power had too. I threw a bomb at it, but It had no effect. I had no other option but to charge up another energy blast.

I took stance as it charged at me. I breathed in, drawing power, and right before it smacked into me, I released that charge and it cut the statue in half, right in front of me. I watched as the statue slowly crumbled before me. I dropped my sword and fell to the ground. I was too weak to stay conscious, and I passed out.

My mind wandered to different things, and I had dreams I couldn't control; nightmares. I saw a hellish, dark world before me, and I watched helplessly as strange creatures danced around me, then I woke up. The temple ceiling taking my vision. I sat up and saw Beth tending to Makar, who was laying next to me. She looked up at me,

"Ah! Link, you're alright!"

"Yeah," was all I could get out,

"Makar doesn't seem to be in any better condition then you are. I think he has a fever,"

"Yeah, we need to get back to the Prophet,"

I struggled to stand up, but it wasn't until Beth helped me did I finally manage to get up. I looked over the room, and saw that the piles of dust were still littered across the floor, but I saw a small chest in the middle of the room, which wasn't there when I fainted. I slowly limped over to it, and kicked it open. I knelt down and reached outside. I pulled out a green pendant, similar to the one Zelda had given me.

Zelda, It's been days since I left her there, yet I only knew her a short time and I think about her. I began to pray she was okay. I walked back over to Beth to show her the pendant,

"We've got what we came for,"

She smiled,

"Yeah! Now we can leave this accursed place,"

I picked up Makar and put him over my shoulder. Beth led the way and we were met with the beautiful warmth of the sun. We wrapped back around the temple to the entrance where we knew where we were at. We retraced our steps back to the home of the Prophet, being extremely careful of the moblins. I looked at Beth, who only stared back. I reached my hand out and knocked on the door. It was immediately opened,

"You've returned! Bring Makar in," he commanded.

I complied without question and followed his instruction. Beth did not object either. We eventually left Makar alone with the Prophet. Beth and I sat in complete silence in the other room, just waiting. I began to wonder how the Prophet knew that Makar was in such a bad state, but refrained from asking any questions. It was a good wait before the Prophet came back from tending to Makar. He sat down in his chair and only stared off into the distance,

"What's the matter with him?" Beth asked,

"I can't say, but it seems he's been cursed,"

"Cursed how?" I asked,

"I'm not sure of that either, but whatever it is, it's dangerous for Makar to be housing,"

"How did you know he was in danger," I asked,

"I've been following your presence since you've left, and when you entered the temple, I felt a dark power come out from there,"

He broke his gaze and looked at me,

"What did he do?" He asked,

"Huh?" I was confused,

"Makar, what did he do?"

"Oh, well, right before we went into the boss room, he got a icy glaze in his eyes, then he began to mutter words I've never heard before,"

"Strange. What happened before that? Something must have set set him off,"

Beth coughed from crying,

"I yelled... At him for wasting our food,"

The Prophet looked stern,

"Whatever you said to him, you really hurt him,"

"I knew this was all my fault!" She cried,

I walked over to her and comforted her,

"Look Beth, It's not all your fault, it's mine too,"

"How?" She whimpered,

"I should have never asked what he did to our food supply, I led you up to him, which was something I should have never done,"

She hugged me and cried herself to sleep. It was late when we arrived, and even later when the Prophet returned from dealing with Makar. I covered Beth up with my cloak and went over to the Prophet,

"Do you think he'll live?" I asked,

"Hard to say,"

"Is this my fault, my bringing them with me?"

"Did they come willingly?" He asked,

"Yes,"

"Then no,"

"Was there anything I could've done to prevent this?"

The Prophet looked squarely at me,

"Link, there are greater powers out there that even I cannot combat, you are but a mere boy caught up in events that you should've never been involved, but fate has you here, right here, right now,"

He turned his gaze out the window,

"Your lucky to have friends as devoted and loyal as Beth and Makar, but even they have limits, and I fear for the worst,"

I felt a chill run up my bones,

"What do you mean?"

He grimaced,

"Nothing, you should rest like Beth is, you've succeeded in getting the first pendant, but your journey is far from over,"

I nodded, and went over next to Beth and laid on my back staring at the roof watching as the flames danced about, eventually, I fell to sleep, fearful of what the future held.


	19. Chapter 19: Hatred

**Author's Note:**

**Good Lord, you have no idea how bad I did not want to write this, read and see. As always, favorite, follow, review, and enjoy! See you!**

**Chapter 19: "Hatred"**

I had another dream, similar to the one had in the temple. I dreamt that I was standing on top of a cliff overlooking the whole of Hyrule, but it wasn't the lush, green kingdom I knew. It was grey, and fire plagued the field. I stared off into the clouded distance and saw Hyrule Castle in ruin. I saw a fireball fly straight for me, then black.

I flew up right out of my bed in an explosion of heavy breathing. I finally calmed myself down and looked about me. The Prophet was sitting in his chair, smoking off of a pipe. Without even looking, he spoke to me,

"I've been watching you as you've slept. Those must have been some terrible nightmares,"

I gulped,

"They were,"

He looked over at me,

"What did you see?"

I grimaced,

"I saw..."

I waited in silence,

"I saw Hyrule in ruin, fire burning the land, and death everywhere. Monsters roamed the land,"

He breathed out heavily,

"Such is the result if the Wizard gets a hold on the Golden Power,"

I closed my eyes, trying to avoid thinking of such things. I turned and looked down at the floor. Beth was laying there, fast asleep. I looked back up at the Prophet,

"How Makar doing?" I asked,

"He's alive, but barely,"

"Do you think he'll recover,"

"If he does, it will be a long time,"

I sighed,

"I still feel responsible,"

"There's nothing that could've been done about. It could've been you,"

I flared,

"It should've been me!"

"Don't you understand Link? Your the only one who can save us, save Hyrule!"

I started to cry,

"Why me though? All this has done is ruined my life! My Uncle is dead, my house has burned down, and there are people out there who want me dead! Why me?"

There was silence,

"I try, I do, but things always go wrong for me,"

I was bawling. I hadn't noticed that a hand was on my shoulder,

"You've people beside you Link, even if I or Makar couldn't do much," Beth told me,

I tried to regain my composure,

"Thanks Beth,"

I felt so much better that Beth was by my side. Beth, the Prophet and I sat and had a meal. I was sitting sideways talking to the Prophet who had his back to the door, and Beth was sitting, facing the door. I finished one sentence before I noticed the look of surprise on her face. The Prophet and I both turned around to see Makar, looking deathly pale at the door. Beth ran over to him and supported him. The Prophet stood up and also assisted him. The whole time he was in that room, he never spoke, just nodded. The one thing that plagued me was that he stared at me the whole time, but I couldn't tell if he was mad at me, or what his mood was. He just stared.

Beth set him down on the floor,

"Are you hungry,"

Makar nodded, so Beth went off to the Prophet's kitchen to get some of the food we had eaten a while ago. While she was gone, the Prophet did various exercises with Makar to be sure he wasn't injured in any way. He was fine.

Beth came back with a plate full of food and gave it to Makar. He proceeded to devour it in only a matter of seconds, the whole time he kept his eyes set on me and me alone. After he had finished eating, Beth took his plate back to the kitchen and came back,

"How does a bath sound, Makar?"

He nodded, and they left the room. It was only the Prophet and I,

"That wasn't good," I spoke up,

"I know,"

"That staring wasn't good either. I couldn't tell what he was thinking of me,"

"I know. I fear for the worst,"

He took a puff off his pipe,

"Link, we need to talk about something important: Your next destination,"

I shot up,

"My next location?! Do you really think that this is the proper time for that?"

He became frustrated,

"Listen to me Link, I fear for the worst, something that I believe you won't be able to handle. If we get this out of the way, it'll save you and everyone in this house a lot of trouble,"

I shut up. I knew I had no right to speak up against him like I did,

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just..."

"Yes, I know,"

We spent the next hour or so talking about different scenarios that could and how I should deal with them, but we what we did get certain was that I would next be headed for the Desert of Mystery for the second pendant.

We were in the middle of one of our conversations when we were interrupted,

"I'm not going,"

The Prophet and I both stood up and turned,

"Makar, are you sure about this?" the Prophet asked,

"Yes, I'm not going,"

This time Beth heard it, but wasn't sure if it was true or not, she came into the room,

"What was that? Did Makar speak?"

Makar looked right deathly at Beth and spoke,

"I'm not going,"

Beth dropped what she was holding,

"What?"

"You heard me,"

"Makar, no!"

"I'm sure of it,"

I was stunned, I couldn't speak, couldn't move, I wasn't sure if I breathing any more,

"I've never been so afraid in my life before. I don't want to go through it again,"

Beth started to cry, I was crying, and the Prophet let out a heavy sigh,

"Looks like my fears were reality,"

"You can go by yourself Link. I want nothing to do with you any more,"

I felt like I was stabbed through the heart with a sword. Makar hated me, and there was nothing I could to fix it. He looked at Beth,

"Get your things, we're going back to Father,"

She whimpered,

"Don't do this Makar! Please! What happened to you?"

"I am doing this Beth, and nothing is wrong with me, I've only realized that Link is dangerous, and you should not be around him,"

Beth started to yell,

"He isn't!"

Makar committed an action none of would have ever dared to think he would do, he slapped Beth right across the face. She fell down to the ground. I was furious, confused, and sad,

"Makar! How could you?!"

The Prophet, in one swoop, picked up Makar and pushed him against the wall,

"That was uncalled for, young man. You can have your objections against Link, you can assume control, but you never slap a lady like you just did, especially when she's your sister!"

Makar dropped. I watched, and felt heat all around me, I felt light headed and weak. I heard "...Link," and I passed out.


	20. Chapter 20: Descent

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, if at any point you catch a misspelling or some type of grammatical error, send me PM telling what chapter and what the mistake is. I don't have a beta reader, so ?i have to proofread it myself, and you know what happens when the Author tries to correct his own work. As always, review, favorite, follow and enjoy!**

**Chapter 20: "Decent"**

I awoke the next morning with a massive headache, and an even more painful bright light bothering my eyes. I gathered enough strength to open my eyes to see that the painful light was coming from the window. I realized I had been moved from where I fell the night before, but as a benefit, I was in a comfy bed. I slowly sat up on the side of the bed and looked outside. The sun was already a great deal up the sky. It had to be late in the morning.

I forced myself to stand up, but I got extremely light headed and sat back down. I was going have to be very careful if I didn't want to hurt myself any more then I already was. I attempted a second time to stand up, but I got a similar result, only lessened effect. The third time was enough for me to properly stand up and not have to rest again. I held my hand against my head, trying to combat the headache.

I felt extremely calm for some odd reason, but under the circumstances, it was strange. I limped my way from the room I was in to the main living room. There wasn't a noise that I could hear. It was just dead silence. I sleepily walked to the doorway of the living room and saw the Prophet sitting in his chair reading. I supposed he didn't notice me. I had just barely opened my mouth when he beat me to it,

"They've left already,"

I lowered my head. He continued,

"Beth begged for Makar to wait for you to wake up so she could say goodbye, but he would have none of it. She told me to pass on the message,"

I only stared between my feet. My head raced with thoughts trying to explain why Makar suddenly became against me, but I couldn't come up with any,

"Your stuff is already set by the door. You can leave when you feel ready, but I suggest sooner the better,"

I limped over in front of the Prophet and sat on one the of many cushions he had littered across the floor,

"I feel bad," I croaked,

He stared up at me,

"In many ways, I can tell. They meant a lot to you, didn't they?"

I only nodded. He sighed,

"You can't rely on everyone who comes past you Link, other people have their breaking points too. Already apparent is that Makar must've reached his,"

I sat in silence. The Prophet got up and headed for the kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a plate of food. He set down in front of me,

"Eat. You'll need the energy,"

I picked up the plate and ate away. The food helped me incredibly, it even cleared my headache. After I had finished, I set the empty plate on the floor and got up. The Prophet followed me. I went the door and started grabbing my things to prepare to leave,

"Link,"

I stopped and turned to him,

"I want to give this to you. It's a special tome which you can use to contact me. I don't know how much I can help you, if the need arise, but I will give any advice you may need,"

I bowed my head,

"Thank you,"

The Prophet laid his hand on my shoulder,

"I won't dwell on what happened too much Link. I may be wrong, but I have a feeling you'll see them again,"

He winked. I responded with a smile and lifted my pack onto my shoulder,

"If you head east from here, there is a trail that follows right down the mountain. That's the same trail I directed Beth and Makar to follow,"

I nodded, and opened the door. Looking out, I was blinded by the noon-high sun. I lost valuable time sleeping in, but I needed it. I turned to the Prophet one last time,

"Thank you again,"

I turned and headed out the door.

I knew it was gonna be a hard walk for me, because my legs were terribly sore, but the hospitality the Prophet gave me helped my through. Not much happened while I was walking down the mountain. I did find the path the Prophet mentioned, and prayed to the Goddess that I would be able to catch up to Beth and Makar, but the thought passed through me that I didn't want in fear of what Makar might do to me, or even Beth.

My mind wandered as I walked to the events of last night. I wanted to believe that it was just a bad dream, but it was proven to be reality. Most of all, I missed Beth. She was so kind, and helpful to both me and Makar, especially having to keep the loss of her mother on her mind. Makar was a okay guy too. I didn't know how to feel about his decision, but if he believed that was the best choice, then I only wished him the best.

I've been abandoned twice now, and my trust in the world was wavering; first by my Uncle, then by Makar. I knew one thing was certain; Zelda was still waiting for me at the Sanctuary. I still tried to understand why I thought about her, but there was just something that attracted my attention to her. I couldn't figure it out.

I tripped on a rock and almost found myself tumbling down the base of the mountain, but I was able to catch myself. I regained my balance and looked up. I was surprisingly excited. Although, it wasn't quite what I was hoping for, but it boosted my spirits. I had found a campsite; most likely the camp of Beth and Makar.

I approached the camp and began to scout around, but my searched yielded nothing. My excitement died and came back to me as disappointment, but I proceeded on anyways. I finally reached level ground which I could only guess was the base of the mountain. After more walking, I was greeted by the sweet sight of green grass. I was back out on the fields, but it was already late in the afternoon when I reached the bottom. The sun was about to set and I needed a place to stay.

I continued late into the evening, but my extra walking got me ahead of schedule, I was past my burnt house on closer to the Desert of Mystery, that was when I was greeted by the sight of a burning campfire.


	21. Chapter 21: Companion

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, thanks for keeping up this far and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. This is mostly a filler chapter, but necessary none the less. As always, review, favorite, follow, and enjoy. See you later!

Chapter 21: "Companion"

The sight of that far-off flame set me off in a rush of excitement. I immediately took off towards the camp, hoping dearly that it was Beth and Makar. As I got into view of the camp, I didn't see either of them there, just one man sitting by himself.

My sprint had slowed down to just a walk, and I came up to the camp, I approached the man,

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked,

He looked up at me and gave me an extremely interesting look. I supposed he didn't plan to meet anyone tonight. After he gave me the look, he pointed to the sign next to him. I walked around him and knelt down in front of it to read it.

- _I am just a simple guy. Go away, leave me alone, don't talk to me, and do not remove this sign._ -

This had me curious. I found it strange that a man would go to so much trouble for no to talk to him, but his sign didn't turn me away. I stood back up and looked at him. He gave me the same interesting look as before. Eventually, I tried speaking with him again,

"Sir, would you mind if I stayed the night with you?"

He only shook his head and pointed back at the sign. I knew he was trying to tell me to leave, but it didn't work. I was getting annoyed by his attitude towards me. I spoke to him again,

"Sir, why are you being so silent?"

He looked at him with an even weirder look. He was looking at me like I was mad. He shook his head again and pointed at the sign. I folded my arms and the man scoffed at me. This set me over the edge. I pulled the sign right out of the ground and threw it; landing and splitting into two. The man stared at me with a look of horror, like I had committed murder, then he stood up and gave me a shock,

"Sheesh man! Can't you read?"

He took a minute to breath,

"Either you're extremely persistent or extremely stupid,"

I was surprised. I honestly didn't expect him to react like that,

"Well, uh.. Sir,"

He put his hands on his hips,

"Yep, your stupid!"

This set me off,

"Stupid! I'm not the guy who refused to speak and forced people to read a sign telling them to shove off!"

The man took a moment,

"Well... I have my reasons! Want do you want anyways?"

I calmed down,

"Well, for one thing: what are you doing out here?"

"That's my business,"

I sighed,

"Fine, secondly, I was wondering if could camp with you for tonight,"

He threw his arms into the air at the sound of my request,

"I guess there's no way I getting rid of you now, is there?"

I was offended,

"I can leave if you really want me too,"

He sighed,

"No, you can stay, I could use some company,"

I sat down next to the fire, and he did the same. We sat in silence for a good while before I attempted to stir up some conversation,

"I'm Link, by the way,"

He didn't respond until after a while,

"My name is Habib,"

I looked up,

"Well, nice to meet you Habib"

He only mumbled,

"Yeah, well goodnight."

He mumbled again.

I laid down and fell off into sleep.

The next morning, I awoke to a completely cleared camp. It was almost there had been no camp or no strange guy. I achingly arose from my sleeping pad and had a lonely breakfast. There was a soft, cool breeze blowing and it was quiet say for a few birds singing, but there was no one to talk to.

I packed up and headed off closer towards the desert. As I made my way, I noticed that the terrain began to grow rocky and rough. I was wondering if I was going the wrong way, but kept trekking anyways.

The sky progressively changed from a clear, blue sky to a cloudy, grey one. I was fearing if it would rain. I reached what I concluded was the entrance to the desert, and something that caught my eye was a man and a sign.

I was surprised to find that same man just sitting in the same fashion as he was last night. As I approached Habib, he suddenly gave off an equally surprised look at the

sight of me. I guess he was hoping to never see me again, but sadly for him, he wasn't rewarded with that luxury. I made my way up to him as he contemplated picking up his sign and running for it, but I guess he talked himself out of it,

"By the Goddess, your persistent aren't you,"

I let out a little chuckle,

"I try to be,"

"Well, what do you want now,"

He took a minute staring at me, then turned toward the desert,

"You're not planning to go in that desert are you?"

"Why yes, I am. Is it dangerous?"

He gave me a look,

"There are worms in there, man!"

"Worms?"

"Yes! Deadly worms; killer worms."

"I'm still going in there, y'know,"

He gave me a look of horror,

"Well... Let me just say that it was nice knowing you,"

I raised an eyebrow,

"Alright? See you too,"

I started to walk away from him into the desert when I heard a shout and him dashing towards me,

"Alright, fine. I'll come with you!"

I turned around and looked at him strange,

"I thought you said there were killer worms in there,"

He bowed his head,

"Well, yeah, but it's better then sitting out here by myself. I mean, I can't let you go in there and get yourself killed?"

I was surprised,

"Alright then, come on,"

It comforted me a great deal to have a new companion with me. It was probably the best thing to have as I got over Beth and Makar, but as always, I would regret it.


	22. Chapter 22: Danger

**Author's Note:**

**So I know its been forever since I've posted, but I'm still writing. It's just taking me a bit. As always, review, favorite, follow, and enjoy.**

**Chapter 22: "Danger"**

Habib wasn't kidding when he said that there were killer worms out her in the desert. As we made our way tripping left and right over the dunes of sand, we pushed forward to the farthest cliffside, but it was not easy task. Aside from the landscape being covered in dunes and the killer worms hunting us down, the heat was nearly killing us.

Of course, when it came to the worms, I had to deal with them, but what Habib was actually both shocking and hilarious; whenever he saw a worm coming at us, he'd jump up and start chunking clumps of sand at it. Although, this became a problem at times due to the fact that the sand would become a cloud and linger near the ground, which in turn would blind my vision.

We made it a good ways into the desert before Habib begged for us to stop and have a water break; I happily obliged. I took a single drink of water then handed it to Habib, who foolishly started gulping it down like he was dying. I quickly yelled at him,

"Don't do that! Stop drinking!"

He stopped and wiped his mouth, followed by heavy breathing,

"What?"

"You do realize that is all the water we have to last us this trip,"

He looked at the canteen then handed it to me,

"Sorry. If you wanted another drink, you could've just asked,"

I slapped my forehead,

"No! I don't want another drink! You've probably already wasted it all!"

He started to get annoyed,

"Listen, just calm down, I brought my own water canteen,"

This loosened my up considerably,

"Alright, fine. Just drink out of yours from now on,"

He nodded.

We proceeded further across the desert, climbing over dunes and fending off worms. The sun began to set and fall behind the mountains, bringing cooler air to the desert, but a unwanted factor to nightfall was that more creatures began to emerge. Along with the worms, there were scorpions, snakes, bugs, and the fabled sand giants.

I had heard legends of these sand giants. They said that the sand giant would come at you from where you'd least and attempt to pull you underground and suffocate you to death, although, I didn't even dare to think about what happened after that.

It was later into the night by the time we finally managed to cross the desert and reach the cliffside we were aiming for, but there was still a problem; there was no clear way as to getting up the cliff.

The Prophet made it clear that the temple would not be located on the sand, but on solid ground, which left the most reasonable place to the cliffside. Habib only stared at me as I inspected the cliff for a way up, but he soon lost interest and laid down on the sand; I didn't notice this.

I successfully found a manageable climbing spot and tried to get up from there. Luckily, I was able to get up onto the cliff. As I turned around to tell Habib to follow me up, I was met with a dilemma: Habib was fast asleep and there was a shaking pile of sand moving towards him. I judged it had to be a sand giant and that Habib was in a life or death situation. I called out to him,

"Habib! Wake up!"

He stirred, but didn't wake up. The giant was closing in,

"HABIB! WAKE UP!"

He jumped up at the sound of my screaming, but fell back down. I heard him let out a deafening yelp and watched as he ran as fast as his feet could carry him towards me. It was a close call, but I think he was running faster then the giant following. When he reached the cliffside, he started jumping towards me and yelling.

"Get me up! Get me up!"

I stretched my arm out as far as I could in order to reach Habib, but I wasn't able to reach him. He continued to jump higher and higher before I was finally able to grab his fingers; It was all for naught.

The giant, by this time, had finally reached Habib and was pulling him under the sand. My adrenaline was pumping at this point and I focused all my strength on combating the pull of the giant. It got harder and harder to keep hold on him, and the screams that blasted into my ear from Habib made it much worse.

I strained to hold on, but it was worthless. The giant's strength overcame my own and ended with Habib letting out one last scream before being pulled under the sand. He was gone.

I got back up the cliff and laid down. I failed in protecting him, and know he is dead. It's was my fault. I laid and stared out at the stars, crying. I felt as if I couldn't go on, at least, not after what happened.

I heard a soft rumble, but ignored it. It gradually became louder as time past, until the point where it began to shake the earth. I sat up, and stopped crying. The rumbling was caused by something in the sand. Eventually the rumble reached its climax and a figure shot right out of the sand and landed back down on top of a dune.

I immediately jumped down from the cliff and ran after the figure, and to my relief, it was Habib; however, he was unconscious. I picked him and laid him over my shoulder and went back to the cliff. With a great deal of effort involved, I boosted him up onto the cliff and got up myself. I went and knelt down and set my head on his chest; his hear was beating. I said a prayer of thanksgiving to the Goddess and started feeling his throat. I was glad to find out he didn't have any sand in his mouth, so I pulled out my canteen and started pouring water on his face.

He stirred and finally woke up coughing heavily. I was so happy,

"Habib! Your alive!"

He finally ceased coughing and looked at me funny, then held his head,

"What in the name of Hyrule happened?"

I raised an eyebrow,

"You don't remember?"

He shook his head. I sighed,

"A sand giant got a hold of you. I thought you were killed!"

He scratched his head,

"Well, I'm here,"

"Maybe the giant didn't like the taste of you?"

He laughed,

"Yeah, sure. I guess I just got lucky, but I'm deathly tired right now,"

I looked up, I guess we can call it a night,"


End file.
